Braised Escarole with Garlic and Chili
The secret to working with escarole is respecting its bitterness. By cooking it down until the leaves lose their structure and soak up the aromatics, you transform a stubborn green into something refined and deeply flavorful.
Cleanliness is the only hurdle here.
Escarole grows close to the dirt and holds onto grit like nothing else. Dunk the separated leaves in a large bowl of cold water, swish them vigorously, and lift them out before the sediment settles back on them.
- Large bowl for washing
- Wide, heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid
- Tongs
- Chef's knife
What goes in.
- 2 headsescarole
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tspred pepper flakes
- 1/4 cupchicken or vegetable stock
- To tastesea salt
Control the volume
Escarole takes up massive volume when raw but shrinks to a fraction of its size. Use a large skillet and don't be afraid to press it down; it will wilt in seconds once the heat hits the moisture on the leaves.
The method.
Prep the greens
Trim the tough root end, separate the leaves, and wash them in multiple changes of water until no grit remains in the bowl.
Aromatize
Warm the olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes, stirring for 30 seconds until the garlic turns pale gold and smells potent.
Wilt
Add the wet escarole leaves to the skillet in handfuls. Use tongs to toss them in the oil until they collapse into a pile.
Braise
Pour in the stock, cover the skillet, and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the stems are tender when poked with a knife.
Finish
Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium-high for a final minute to evaporate excess liquid. Season with salt and serve hot.
Other turns to take.
Anchovy-Forward
Add two oil-packed anchovy fillets to the oil before the garlic, letting them melt completely until they disappear.
Lemon Finish
Squeeze a half lemon over the greens immediately before serving to brighten the bitterness.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the escarole looks too bitter, keep the heat low and cook it longer; the sugars in the plant release as it softens.
Don't dry the greens after washing; that residual water is what you need for the initial steam.
Use a wide skillet to ensure even heat distribution so the leaves cook uniformly.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use other greens?
You can use frisée or endive, but they will cook much faster and have a different texture. Kale is too fibrous for this specific method.
How do I know when it's done?
The leaves should be completely limp and the stems should lose their snap, becoming soft enough to cut with the side of a fork.
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